I think I'll pass on anything embarrassing. Oh, how about this? I was in the 8th grade spelling bee and there was just me and this other kid left. I lost because I misspelled the word "embarrass". I'm still not sure I'm spelling it right!

Something people wouldn't expect about me: I *love* to eat uncooked flavored oatmeal. Yep, that's right. Raw. The only flavor I really eat is Cinnamon & Spice. Soooo yummy. You really gotta get the right about of oats and powdered flavoring in each spoonful though to make it the best experience possible. I usually will eat 2 bags at a time. Yep, I'm weird. It's confirmed. Other things you wouldn't expect is that I've been stung by a bee four times: pinky finger, eyelid, foot, and between my thumb and forefinger. You also might not expect that I'm a pretty good seamstress.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

"Mom, the wind is making my hair dance. It's having a party up there!" Tatiana & I enjoyed some quality time together outside while Sienna was napping. She played on the swings with an occasional push from me, while I sat in my camping chair reading a newly arrived book: A Designer's eye for Scrapbooking by Ali Edwards. The sun was warm and the sky was blue and clear. I kept thinking to myself: This is life. I was totally enjoying the moment. *Do you ever have moments like that, where you feel almost like the world is standing still?* I ran inside to get my sunglasses and the doorbell rang. It was the UPS guy delivering another scrapbooking book: Big Picture Scrapbooking by Stacy Julian. I love my UPS and FedEx guy. Love 'em!! Just don't tell my husband. After Sienna woke up, the girls and I took a walk around the neighborhood. We went in the opposite direction than usual, so it was a nice change of scenery. We practiced our Spanish by pointing out things and then repeating the Spanish word like: red, car, house, tree, bird. I'm continuing to try to make learning a lifestyle instead of something only done inside a classroom. Hope you've taken advantage of the glorious day God created for us all to enjoy!!

Now don't go tellin' Rick any of this 'cuz he almost never reads this blog:

How much do you normally spend in a scrapbooking store? It probably averages to about $30.

How often do you normally shop in a store? About once every two months. (Lately its been more frequent so Skyra can stock up!)

Or are you an online shopper? I do *love* to shop online also since my favorite brick and mortar store is about an hour away. I love that just deliver it to my house, can shop in my pj's, and have an unlimited selection. My next purchase will probably come from A Cherry on Top since they have a great selection and I *love* how you can shop by theme or by manufacturer. Great idea!

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

I updated my profile yesterday! I took a self-portrait & think it's a pretty good reflection of "me". I guess the topic of "homeschooling" is what has been on my mind lately. Some of the reasons I want to do it are:

1) I like the idea of one-on-one attention, instruction from the person who knows them the best (me), and a teacher relationship based on familial love. What could be better?

2) A lot of time is wasted in public schools waiting for the teacher to finish, waiting for others to finish, waiting in line, recess, bathroom breaks, etc. This time could be much better utilized at home.

3) I would love for my kids to have a true education: of the mind, character, heart, and soul. Public school only adresses the first and only negatively impacts the other three. We will be able to instill in our children the values that we hold dear, not the ones that a government sponsored institution find important.

I could go on and on, but these are just a couple of things that I have thought of so far. If you have questions, please leave me a comment. I've also updated the links section to reflect a really educational homeschooling blog. Take a look if you get a chance.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Here she is. My little movie star!! Hollywood here we come. If this picture doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will. Nothing exciting to report at the Rios' homestead. The girls and I got some fresh air today. We played in the backyard blowing bubbles and swinging on our playset. Most of the time Sienna was mesmerized by a neighbor's barking dog. The most pressing issue on my mind lately is that of homeschooling. I came across a blog discussing the concept of "sheltering" and it got me thinking about homeschooling again. I've been doing a lot of research online and am actually leaning towards it. Again. I feel pressure to come to some sort of decision soon as time is ticking towards public school starting in the fall. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

I've gotta admire the girl's ingenuity, it's the execution I have a problem with. Tatiana wrote the words, "NO TATI" in big blue crayon letters on the front of her door. I discovered this last night around 7 pm. I asked her *with my stern serious face* "WHAT is this?" She claimed she didn't know. She did, then, admit to having written it. I asked why. She said she wrote "NO TATI" so that no one would come in her room to bother her while she was playing. It took me about 20 minutes of scrubbing to get most of the crayon off. Now if only I could harness that creativity..............

Monday, March 27, 2006

You'll see these from time to time. They're challenges posted by one of my favorite scrapping sites of topics to blog about.

Do you want to convert your real life non-scrapper friends into scrapbookers? Yeah, I wish I could convert as many as possible!! Too many say they "don't have the time" or "aren't creative". Two really lame excuses. We're all creative! I guess I'll try and convert the ones that seem interested.

Do you find friends that scrapbook? If so, how? Sometimes. If they come over and see my albums, they'll usually say "Oh I scrapbook too." or "I'd love to start scrapbooking" or something like that. I don't go to any crops, so I don't make any new scrapbooking friends that way.

Do you show your pages to someone who doesn't scrapbook? Yep, but I find that they are sometimes not that impressed. Maybe they don't realize how much thought/time/money/love goes into these pages. If they don't seem interested, I wouldn't show anything to them again.

Do you avoid the topic of scrapbooking since your non-scrapping friends just don't get it? Um, yeah. I'm sure they're not interested in what new technique I just tried or that I just bought some new foam stamps or that I'm waiting for a package from some online place.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Dare I say it again that it is almost feeling like spring!!! The last time I mentioned this I woke up to about 1" of snow on the ground. Looks like this weeks forecast should be lovely!! High of 59 degrees on Thursday. We took the plastic off the sliding glass door today and it feels wonderful. You know what that means, dontcha? We can grill again. Take a peek:

I made some sweet tea, Rick picked out some gourmet mozzarella/sundriedtomato/artichoke stuffed sausages at the grocery store and I picked up some bacon wrapped fillets. It was so nice to be able to cook out on the deck with all the sunlight and fresh air coming in. You'll also notice from the picture that we have some new neighbors. Yep, they did some house hunting and decided that the outdoor light on our deck would make a perfect home. They really are quite lovely red-breasted birds. It would be a shame to evict them. How about you? What are you doing to welcome the new season? Leave a comment and let me know!

Saturday, March 25, 2006

I had a sleepover last night with my girl Skyra! We chatted and scrapbooked and stayed up late. She completed her first scrapbook page (*I'm so proud*) and I came up with this:The journaling says: Sienna Jade--I can't express how much I enjoy wathcing you grow. Each new day is filled with things to experience and discover. Even the smallest things can fill your eyes with wonder. At 13 months old--during this season of life, you definitely are.............in bloom.

I love the simplicity of it and it went together so quickly. The creative juices were flowing. I bought some paint today for Sienna's room and I can't wait to use it. Hopefully next weekend. And of course I'll post pictures when I'm done. Hope your weekend is restorative like mine has been.

Friday, March 24, 2006

...about spring being right around the corner. Wasn't I just saying that yesterday? Figures! This is what I woke up to this morning. I was hoping we could take the plastic off the windows soon to let in the fresh air and start grilling. Guess we'll have to wait. I was feeling so creative last night after my trip to Archiver's that I whipped up this:I'm really happy with the way it turned out. It's kind of a break from my usual style. The journaling says: "Sienna Jade 13 1/2 months old. Wonder captured." Hope you find something to wonder at today.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

I am finally home after my long traveling day. I saw something today that literally cracked me up. Since Rick & I both have a touch of the entrepreneurial spirit, we often analyze commercials, business slogans & tactics, etc. I saw a septic tank truck with the funniest business slogan. Underneath their business name it said, "We're #1 in the #2 business." I thought that was so funny. It makes me smile just thinking about it now.

To break up some of the monotony in traveling, I made a couple of pit stops at some of my favorite stores. Here's the goodies I picked up:

Can you tell that I'm excited about spring? Can't wait to get outdoors and let the girls run around and take lots of outdoors pictures. I'm lovin' all the Heidi Swapp stuff I picked up too. Makes me so happy. I picked up a CD tin with an accordian album inside on clearance at Joann's for only 3 bucks. I think I'm gonna alter it to keep picture of the kids in my purse. I'll post pics of it when it's done.

Since I mentioned spring, I went outside to bring in the trash can and know what I smelled? Rain! That means spring is right around the corner. It was so amazing this morning. Even with the TV on, we could hear the outdoor noises. Tatiana said, "Wow mom! I can hear the birds singing." You really can appreciate the outdoor goodness a lot more in the country.

Thanks mom for all the new clothes for the girls. I especially love the sweaters from Children's Place. Doesn't she look lovely?

Tati does wish though that she could have some pajamas like Sienna (the "footie") kind, but unfortunately for her I think she's just a little too big! Today is going to be a long day. I have to go to Metrostudy in Hoffmann Estates to return my survey box, which means first I am going to drop the kids off at Babcia's house. That means about 3+ hours of time in the car for me. YUK!! Also, I feel like I am "coming down with something". Feeling blah and woke up with a sore throat. I know, mom, I know, gargle with salt and warm water. I think I actually may do it! I think I may incorporate some culinary tips into this blog. Look forward to one tonight....

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

So here's my first attempt at the paper bag albums. Insert *happy, happy, joy, joy dance* here! I love, love, love the way it turned out. Actually, I kinda had to scrap about 50% of the project since I didn't assemble it properly and I ended up not being able to punch the holes all the way through. So Sky, collect up your papers and embellies 'cuz we're gonna have to plan a paper bag making party!

...is what Rick said when I announced I was starting a blog. I figured that it would be a great way to share my thoughts and our lives with our family and friends who we don't get to see as often as I like. Plus I think I'll enjoy putting my thoughts down. I've been so inspired lately by one blog that I've been reading, it's making me want to share my "stuff". So, *cheers* to blogging and looking forward to sharing......

I am a domestic engineer (aka homemaker) and a homeschooling Mama. I enjoy decorating, cooking, baking, scrapbooking and anything crafty. I am a wife, a sister, a daughter, a granddaughter, a mother, and a friend. I am a child of God and am having a love affair with Jesus. I am the mama of a baby daughter, Olivia, diagnosed with Trisomy 18, who went to be with Jesus at 28 weeks pregnant. I am also a mother to a precious little one, miscarried at 8 weeks. I am learning how to live with grief and embrace the plan that He has set before me, knowing I am safe in His hands.